Dallas-based United Surgical Partners International, the ASC chain of Tenet Healthcare, is the largest ASC chain in the country, with more than 475 centers.
The company's number of ASCs has grown 116 percent since 2011, outpacing AmSurg's number of ASCs in 2019. The company's closest competitor, Optum's SCA Health, has around 320 ASCs.
USPI's growth began to skyrocket in 2021, when Tenet said it would acquire more than 90 ASCs from SurgCenter Development for approximately $1.2 billion. The acquisition includes ownership interest in 92 ASCs and the formation of a five-year development agreement to provide continuity for SurgCenter Development's facilities and physician partners.
This year, USPI has added 15 ASCs total — it added 12 ASCs in the second quarter of 2023 and has more than 30 centers either in syndication stages or under construction. In the first quarter, the company added three ASCs in the first quarter and completed two post-transaction buy-ups.
Additionally, USPI increased its assumptions for same-facility case growth from 5 percent to 6 percent in 2023 and plans to pump $250 million into ASC mergers and acquisitions.
"USPI's future is bright, and our capital deployment into this business will continue to grow and develop this portfolio," CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said in a July 31 earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
According to Dr. Sutaria, USPI will continue to capitalize on ASC growth, seen with an aging population, patients seeking more convenient care access and a recovering healthcare ecosystem.